Masks, Microphones, Goddesses, and Girls
by alliedoll
Summary: Beth Phoenix is dumped on her birthday and receives attention and perhaps love from an unlikely source.
1. Chapter 1

Masks, Microphones, Goddesses and Girls

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or people employed or made up by WWE.

12 dozen red roses greeted Beth Phoenix by the door of her hotel room on the morning of her thirtieth birthday. She smiled as she brought them all inside and read the birthday wishes from her friends and co-workers. Her boyfriend, however, was suspiciously absent this morning, and this troubled her slightly.

C.M. Punk, aka Phil Brooks, and Beth Phoenix had been dating since the summer, and she'd come to care deeply for him in that short time. She was looking forward to spending her birthday with him. There was a soft knock at her door. When she opened it, no one was there, but on the hallway floor was a crystal vase containing white roses. The card read "Happy Birthday Beth" , but it was unsigned. She did not recognize the handwriting.

It was Sunday morning, and she had no obligations. She called her best friend Natalya, for she desperately needed some fashion advice for her special evening out.

"I think you should wear the red dress with the corset top." Natalya gushed.

"That is perfect. I wish I knew where he was taking me though."

"Didn't you mention some place that had amazing chocolate cake or something?"

"Yeah, but I think that place is in San Fransisco. I think they have good seafood places here in Boston."

"Mmm…fancy seafood."

"Yeah that's what I want for dinner tonight."

She and Natalya chatted for a bit longer. She hung up the phone and hummed happily to herself. "Time to go find my lover," she said quietly.

She found Phil chatting in the hotel lobby with some of his friends.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey, sexy boy." She leaned into kiss him, but he pulled away.

"Beth, can we go upstairs for a minute. I need to talk to you about something in private."

"Sure. " She was hoping that he meant he wanted to make out or give her a special birthday present.

When they reached the hotel room, he began speaking. "Beth, there's no easy way to say this. Amy called me this morning, and we talked for a while."

"Amy?"

"We talked about it, and we decided that she and I should give it another go."

Beth just stared at him. She had no response.

" I like you a lot," he continued, "but what Amy and I have is like a spiritual connection."

She was stunned. She said the only thing that came into her mind "But I thought we were going out for fancy seafood ?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind." She turned and walked away leaving him puzzled.

Three Hours Later.

Ricardo Rodriguez had not signed the card because he'd lost his nerve. He'd also only written a generic birthday greeting because he couldn't find words to describe the goddess he saw in Beth Phoenix. He knew he had no chance with her, but he still wanted to make her happy. She had been so happy when she was chatting with Natalya about her plans for the evening."

"I hope this place we're going does crab legs."

"Of course it does, we're right by the water."

"Which place are you going to?"

"I don't know the names of any seafood places in Boston, so I'm going to have to look online, but that's what I really want to do."

"And after?"

"Oh come on Nat, I do have to leave some things to the imagination. I will tell you this much. It involves the Jacuzzi."

Beth and Natalya left the lobby giggling.

"Hey Ric." Kofi Kingston came over and greeted Rodriguez.

"Oh hey Kofi, 'sup?"

" Me and Evan and maybe Cody and Ted are going clubbing tonight. You want to come?"

"Yeah why not? I'm not doing anything else."

Just Before Midnight

Beth sat alone at the bar drinking tequila. She'd lost count of exactly how many shots she'd had. She went out on the dance floor to lose her pain in a sea of strangers. A tall blonde man approached her.

"Hi sweetie," he said. "Looking for some company?"

She giggled. "Sure." He kissed her and his hand traveled up her thigh.

"I live around here," he said. "We can go back to my place."

"That sounds good. I'll have to leave kind of early though because I've got to work," she slurred.

Across the club, Ricardo sat at a table alone. Kofi and Evan were both dancing with girls they'd met. He spotted Beth near the door. He figured she and Phil were winding up their date. He noticed, however, that she was about to leave with a stranger, and that she was having trouble standing as she leaned into the strange man.

He signaled to Kofi who barely acknowledged him. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Hey Beth, how's it going?" he greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. "You about ready to head out here? I think you've partied pretty hard."

"I'm going home with Charlie here." She smiled at the blond man.

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen tonight," Ricardo said putting his hand on Beth's arm to lead her away.

"We have a problem here?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, we do. Beth here's coming home with me."

"Ricky," she slurred. "Really, there's nothing wrong here."

"Come on, sweetheart. We're going back to the hotel."

"Is this your boyfriend or something?"

"Yeah, I'm her boyfriend, and if you don't leave her alone I'm going to break your face."

"I don't want any trouble. She came onto me."

Ricardo led Beth out of the club. She shivered a little as they stepped into the night air. He took off his jacket and helped her into it. He also put his arm around her both to shield her from the wind and to steady her as she walked. He drove back to the hotel to help Beth to bed and to find out how she ended up here.


	2. Chapter 2

When they pulled into the hotel parking lot, she threw up in the bushes beside the car. He got out of the car to help her, and she fell into him. He picked her up and carried her to his room. "What happened to your date with Phil?" he asked.

She broke down sobbing. "He didn't even know it was my birthday. He's back together with Amy. They have some spiritual connection or something."

She ran to the bathroom. He followed her and held back her hair as she vomited again. Some of it ran down the front of her dress. She went back to crying.

Ricardo went to the closet and pulled out a t-shirt. He helped her out of the dress and into the soft cotton shirt. He led her to the bed and lay her down gently. He wiped her face with a wet washcloth and lay down next to her. She still cried.

He held her as she wept into his chest. He kissed her softly on the top of her head. Her hair smelled like vanilla.

"I thought he loved me," she screamed pushing Ricardo away violently. "And now he's off fucking her. What about you?" she asked. "Do you want to fuck me?"

The question took him by surprise. "No, Beth not like this," he answered firmly.

She started to pull off the shirt, and he stopped her. She yelled at him, "Nobody wants to be with me, and it's my fucking birthday." More tears fell.

"Shhhh, lie down," he said running his hand up and down her back. "You need some sleep."

She lay back down and cried herself to sleep as he held her again. He sighed and tried to settle into sleep himself.

Monday afternoon, 5pm.

"Beth, wake up. It's almost call time."

"Five more minutes," she pleaded.

"No, you've got enough time for a quick shower. I laid out some clothes for you on your bed."

She opened her eyes and noticed she wasn't in her own room. She'd left clothes and makeup scattered around before she left, and this room was clean.

"I've got to get my stuff together."

"Already taken care of. I packed the black lace dress you are supposed to wear tonight. You're not fighting. You are only coming out to talk about how you will be a better Divas champion than Kelly Kelly."

She sat up slowly. She noticed she was wearing a big black t-shirt instead of her red dress. Her head hurt, and she felt like she'd been hit by a truck.

"Where are my clothes?"

"You threw up on your dress. I sent it out to be dry cleaned, so it should be ready by tomorrow."

She looked over and saw Ricardo Rodriguez sitting on the couch playing a handheld video game. Spongebob was on the T.V. He handed her room key to her as she walked by, and he said, "Hurry up, now or we'll be late."

5:40 p.m.

She felt better after a shower. She went back to Ricardo's room to thank him.

"I ordered food. I wasn't sure what you'd be in the mood, but I kind of wanted cheese fries, and there's sodas too."

She sat down in the other chair. "My cheat day is Saturday," she said.

"You need the grease to get over the hangover. The caffeine and sugar will help with the headache. I thought you didn't drink anyway."

"I didn't drink for almost a year until last night."

"You certainly made up for it."

6:25 p.m.

They rode to the arena together. As he drove, her arm brushed against his on the armrest. He took her hand in his. She said nothing, choosing instead to enjoy the quiet comfort of the moment.

Before they parted ways at the door, he kissed her softly on the lips and said, "I think we're in the first part of the show, but I'd like to see you later."

She smiled and said "You know where to find me."

She walked to the divas locker room still smiling until she saw the worried look on Natalya's face when she walked in.

"I've been looking for you all day. Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"I'm fine, Nat. See."

"Where have you been? I saw Phil walk in tonight with Amy."

"God, I really can't handle this right now." Beth said as she sat down on the couch and put her head in her lap.

8:30 p.m.

A.J. walked in. She and Kelly Kelly were scheduled to tag team against the Bella twins tonight.

"Cool hoodie," she said to Beth. "I didn't know you were into Legend of Zelda."

"Oh, um, it's not mine."

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Natalya said.

"Hey Beth. I brought you a latte and some advil. He would have brought them himself, but he's got to get ready since they're up first."

"Thanks, Evan."

Beth took the advil and sipped the latte. "Damn, he even knew to get extra whipped cream."

"Spill it Beth, who were you with last night?"

A.J. had already figured it out. "I only know one guy who's got a Zelda hoodie. It's that annoying ring announcer guy who works with Del Rio. They've got him working down there in Florida on some masked character, Chimaera or something."

"Wait," Natalya said. "You're talking about that guy who wears a tux and looks kind of like a toad."

"Guys, stop it. He's kind of sweet."

"I don't know him that well," A.J. said. "He's usually listening to his music or playing DS. He just seems kind of cocky to me."

Natalya asked "Did you guys hook up or what?"

"No, Nat. I'm having a hard time piecing it all together, but I think he kept me from doing something really stupid last night. I almost went home with some guy named Charlie."

"Just don't rush into anything, Beth. You and Phil just broke up, and you need to give yourself a chance to get over that."

"I know Nat. I just really don't think I could handle being alone right now."


	3. Chapter 3

10:20 p.m.

Beth changed back into her jeans and t-shirt after her promo. She walked out of the locker room to find Natalya. She was almost certain she was in a corner somewhere making out with her long-term sweetie, Tyson Kidd.

Phil looked down in kissing in public. He said that people needed to be more conscious of their image. Ty and Nat were always lip-locked in public. Nat's philosophy was that when you were famous, everywhere is public, therefore there's nowhere to be alone. Beth began wondering if Phil's public kissing rules extended to Amy Dumas, the diva formerly known as Lita, Punk's so-called soul mate. Her thoughts were interrupted by a tap on her shoulder.

She turned around to see Ricardo behind her. "Come with me," he said. "I want to show you something. It's kind of lame, but well you'll see."

He took her to a quiet backstage area near the loading docks.

"This is normally where they park the car for the week. This week it's a Lamborghini."

He'd set up his ipod and speakers in the front seat of the car. "Why don't you just use the car's sound system?"

"Because we're really not supposed to be here at all, but I do it all the time."

"So you just sit back here in the car?"

"Yeah, sometimes. When else am I going to get to sit in a car that costs about twice what most people's houses cost?"

"When you're really famous?"

"I don't think that's happening anytime soon unfortunately. Anyway," He opened the passenger side door for her. "Get in. They won't be here to pick it up for about twenty minutes."

Something about sitting in a car with music playing reminded Beth of high school. She wasn't at all surprised when Ricardo leaned into kiss her. She did surprise herself, however, by not just returning his kiss but climbing into the driver's seat to lie on top of him. His hands were in her hair, and his lips traveled from her mouth to her neck .

She wished she was still wearing her skirt. If she had, she'd have had sex with him then and there. As it was, there wasn't enough time, and there were too many pieces of clothing to deal with. She pressed herself against him, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. He broke the kiss, however, and said. "They're coming to get the car in a minute, so we'd better go."

"Yeah," she said breathlessly.

They walked back to her locker room to gather her things, and they passed by Amy and Phil walking together. Phil had his arm around Amy, and he waved at Beth casually. Beth returned the wave, but she was angry that Phil was acting like nothing had happened. When they reached the locker room, she pulled Ricardo in and threw him down on the couch. She kissed him violently. The anger and hurt she felt because of Phil subsided as she tore at the buttons on Ricardo's shirt.

"Beth, are you sure about this?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

He'd fantasized about this for months, but it never happened like this in his mind. In his daydreams, she'd chosen him over C. M. Punk of her own accord, not because she was dumped. But could he really afford to be picky? Had she been less emotional, it wouldn't have happened at all. He figured he'd enjoy it while it lasted.

Afterwards, they lay there on the couch silently. Neither was certain what to say. He finally broke the silence.

"We have to be in Providence tomorrow for the Smackdown taping. Then on Wednesday, Alberto and I have an autograph signing. Thursday I have to be in Florida, because I have a match on Friday, and I've got to practice some beforehand. What are your plans for the week?"

"I'm on Smackdown tomorrow night for Natalya's match. The rest of my week is really light."

"Would you like to come down to Florida?"

How many times had she wished Phil Brooks had asked her to come with him to Chicago? Every time she mentioned it, he'd said that he needed personal space. "We see each other two or three days a week as it is," he'd always say. Rodriguez, who she barely knew, however, was saying "Come home with me for the weekend. We'll try and go to the fair if it's still in town. We can ride that spinny ride that takes you upside down and then drops you, and after that we'll get funnel cakes or cotton candy."

"Don't you have to work while you're down there?"

"Yeah, but we can do that too. "

"Are you leaving for Providence tonight or in the morning?"

"I was going to go tonight, so I could go ahead and check into the hotel. I need to get up early and work on my moves for my match on Friday."

"Let me call Nat and let her know my plans have changed."

"Yay!" he hugged her.

She laughed and snuggled against him. For the first time in a while, she looked forward to a really fun weekend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Friday 6:45pm. **

The matches were about to start. His match was the second one on the card. He was already dressed, but he was wearing more of Beth's lipstick than she was. He wiped off as much of the bright red substance as he could and put on his mask.

Beth took a seat on the front row. Vicki Guerrero took a seat next to her. She reached in her purse, pulled out a napkin, and handed it to Beth.

"You've got to stop wearing red, honey. It gets everywhere."

"Huh?"

"Your lipstick. It's on your chin. Something tells me your boy's wearing most of it. Either start wearing light pink, or get some of this." She pulled out a tube of something resembling lipgloss. "Lipstick sealant, dries in 30 seconds, and that stuff isn't going anywhere."

"Thanks."

"So who's your boy?" Vicki asked. "I thought you were with C.M. Punk and I know he's in Philadelphia this weekend doing autograph signings. You getting a little something something on the side?"

"Phil and I broke up. Shhh! I think the next match is about to start."

The lights came up and Chimaera's entrance theme played. He walked out confidently and Beth lit up just watching him.

"Aha," Vicki said. "That's who. Thank God he's wearing a mask, or the whole would know what you two have been up to all evening."

Beth laughed. "Who are you here to see, Vicki?"

"I'm visiting my daughter for the weekend. It's hard to believe she's really old enough to do this, but she wants to honor her dad's memory by becoming a pro-wrestler."

The match ended. Ricardo had done a corkscrew splash, but failed to connect the landing. His opponent took advantage of his disorientation, picked him up, and slammed him securing a pin.

"He's not well known enough around here for them to actually let him win. It's a shame because he's pretty good."

"Until yesterday, I'd never seen him in the ring."

"He's got some good moves. He just needs to tone up some, and he needs to watch what he eats."

"Yeah he's still not grasping the concept that Saturday is my only cheat day when it comes to my diet."

"So what's the story with you and him anyway?"

"There's not really much to tell. Punk dumped me and, I started seeing Ric."

"You're rebounding then."

"I wouldn't call it that."

"He's a sweet kid, Beth. I'd hate to see him hurt because you're trying to work out your feelings about Phil."

"I really do like him, Vicki. It's just complicated."

"Everything worth getting tangled up in usually is."

**Saturday 8pm**

Beth was dizzy. They'd ridden the teacup ride three times in a row, and they'd spun as fast as they could each time.

"Was that too much for you?" Ricardo asked her.

"No, I just need a break until my head catches up with the rest of my body."

"How are you at skeeball?"

"I haven't played skeeball in about 15 years."

"Then I shouldn't have any trouble beating you."

Neither of them played the game well, both making it in the 20 point slot on most of their shots.

"It's official." Beth laughed. "We both suck."

He went and ordered them some blue cotton candy. She sat on a bench and looked around at all the lights. The moon was full and the sky was cloudless. Even though it was December, there was only the slightest chill in the Florida air. The night was almost perfect.

He sat down next to her, broke off a piece of cotton candy and fed it to her. Then, he kissed her. The sweetness flooded her mouth, making her entire body tingle in anticipation. She looked into his green eyes, and she could see a mingling of love and desire reflecting back at her. It both scared and excited her.

They went back to his apartment and made love three times that night, each time sweeter than the time before. He touched her like she was a princess, his greatest treasure. The final time, he looked into her eyes and he whispered, "You are so beautiful, my angel" as they reached climax in the same moment.

She awoke the next morning as the sun hit her face. He'd already gone for the morning, but he'd left a note on the nightstand.

"Didn't want to wake you. I went for an early workout. There's cereal in the cabinet and juice in the fridge. R." He'd signed it with a heart.

She smiled. She'd suspected that he'd given her the white roses on her birthday, but now she knew for certain. She poured herself some cereal and sat down to enjoy a little downtime before travelling to the next day's Monday night Raw.

**Two weeks later Monday 10pm **

Ricardo was surprised that Beth was willing to try the stunt. He'd expected to her to be very different. She was no longer the goddess he'd dreamed of. She was simply a girl, but she was the girl he thought he was falling in love with, and that somehow felt better than being with a goddess.

She jumped onto a desk chair, and it rolled down the hallway. She leapt into the air and spun into a dropkick. He turned to catch her, and they both fell onto the floor laughing.

C.M. Punk walked by.

"What are you doing?" he asked Beth.

"Wasting time, I guess. My match is done, but I'm just chilling here because I think they're at the end of the show." She nodded towards Rodriguez.

"You're going to kill yourself doing stuff like that."

"Nah, we're just playing."

It was weird for Punk to see his recent ex-girlfriend sitting on the floor, leaning against Rodriguez who had his arms around her shoulders and his chin resting on top of her head. He'd not seen her smile quite so brightly, nor had he seen her laugh like that. Was this the type of relationship he'd wanted with Beth? They ran around like teenage kids making out all the time and jumping off tables showing off. It was unprofessional. Beth really couldn't afford this type of distraction when her career was poised to take off.

He shrugged. He had to admit he was a little jealous because Beth was radiant right now.


	5. Chapter 5

Tuesday morning 7am

Beth and Ricardo were sparring with Natalya and Tyson, and the conversation turned to Beth's displeasure with the direction WWE had taken with the Divas division in recent years.

"I just want to do some real wrestling. I'm tired of just pulling each other's hair and doing cheerleader moves."

"So you want to wrestle men?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah, why not? I'm almost the exact same size as Rey Mysterio."

"Beth," Ricardo pointed out, "If you were a man you wouldn't be a power slammer."

"The glam slam is pretty ugly."

"Against someone who weighs 120 pounds, yeah. But what if you were going up against somebody like Kane? I'm not even sure you could slam me with very much force."

"Is that a challenge, Rodriguez?"

"Don't push her Ric." Natalya laughed. "She's stronger when she's pissed."

She set up for the glam slam, but he countered by reversing it and doing her own move on her.

"You've got to try a different approach. A man your size would be expected to fly all over the place, not pick people and body slam them."

Saturday 2:45 p.m. Milwaukee Wisconsin

C.M. Punk sat talking to Kofi Kingston while on break during an autograph signing the day before a pay-per-view.

"It's not like I want her back or anything, but it's so obvious that guy's just using her."

"No, it's almost the other way around. He follows her around like a puppy."

"Please, it has to be an act. His career is probably going to go nowhere with him stuck in that ring announcer role, so he's using Beth to get a push. Think about it. He's weird looking, and they use him for comic relief."

"Did you hear that Beth wants to start wrestling men?"

"Why would she want to do that?"

"She says the Barbie doll girls aren't that much of a challenge anymore."

"Well, who do you think put that crap in her head?"

"She and Ric have been working on some sort of dream match that he has. Basically, the idea is that she's an alternate version of his guy, the Chimaera, and in a way he is able to wrestle himself. "

"He's probably planning on promoting this down in Florida or on NXT or something."

"Really? Beth said it's because a man her size would have to know aerial moves and fly around the ring like Rey Mysterio."

"Women don't really belong in the ring with men. It gets too rough."

"Beth said that's not why you refuse to fight her. Beth says it's because there's fine line between grappling and groping, between fighting and sex. Basically sparring turns her on."

"From what I hear, everything makes her horny these days."

"Jealousy does not look good on you, Phil" Beth said as she approached.

"I'm not jealous. I'm with Amy. Where's your pet?"

"He's not my pet, he's my boyfriend"

"You are far too good for some second-rate masked wannabe, Phoenix."

"You should have said that when you dumped me on my birthday."

"You cannot honestly tell me that you have real feelings for him, or is it just a sex and candy relationship? A diversion?"

"It's only been a month. It's really too soon to say."

"Ha, if you were really serious about him, you'd have said yes without hesitation. You know he's pushing this clone match of his to further his career. It's not just practice or whatever he's calling it."

"It's not a match, Punk. It's me wanting to learn how to wrestle like a man. It's about me wanting to take my career to the next level."

"Beth, let's face it. You're vulnerable right now. You just don't want to be alone."

"That's bullshit and you know it. If you never loved me, why are you telling me all this anyway?"

"Because I don't want to see you taken advantage of by some guy who only cares about being famous."

Later that night

"Are you going home for Christmas?" Ricardo asked Beth.

"I hadn't planned on it. I'm not sure if there will be enough time. You?"

"I was hoping you'd be able to come home with me, and meet my parents and stuff. I know they'll love because I love you."

The words hit her like a truck. Three simple words, but she knew he meant them when she looked at his face.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't do this anymore. "

"Can't do what."

"You, me, this. It's weird."

"Weird?"

"I'm having fun, don't get me wrong, but it's only been a month. Already you're talking about me coming home with you for Christmas and meeting your family. I'm just not buying it anymore."

"Beth, I'm serious. I love you."

"No, you couldn't possibly. You don't know me well enough to love me. You managed to get to me while I was down. You helped boost me back up, and made me believe I was special. But you're just doing all this to try and push your little dream match through."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"I heard it around."

"Beth, you're the most beautiful and talented woman I've ever met. I'm only teaching you that routine because you said you wanted to wrestle like a man your size. It was all just for fun." He was near tears.

"I really just can't believe that. I've got to go."

"Beth, please," he called after her to no avail.


	6. Chapter 6

Sunday night 6:30p.m.

Beth sat in the divas locker room. She'd made no progress getting ready for her match with Natalya against Kelly Kelly and Eve. She just stared at the wall.

"Why don't you just go talk to him?" Natalya suggested.

"I'm not sure I ever want to see him again."

"Please stop being mopey and get ready. We're not up right away, but you need to focus."

Ricardo sat in Alberto Del Rio's locker room area bored out of his mind. He'd become so used to hanging out with Beth between matches. He didn't feel like watching youtube or playing DS. He wished he were with her with his arms wrapped around her waist, her soft kisses all over her face, her laughter at his sarcastic comments or backstage daredevil stunts.

"Why don't you just go talk to her?" Alberto said.

"She said she was done with me. She doesn't want me around."

"Well stop worrying about it and go get ready."

Sunday, 9:30 p.m.

Ricardo walked back to Del Rio's locker room area after their match. He stopped in front of the Divas locker room. He thought of knocking, but he had nothing to say to Beth at the moment. As he walked away, she came out.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

"You looked good out there. You should keep your hair longer. I like it that way."

"Thanks. Good luck out there, Beth."

"Thanks, I've got to go."

She really wanted to hug him and tell him she was wrong, but she couldn't make herself do it.

She sighed. "What is wrong with me?" as he walked away.

Tuesday afternoon 4pm, Ann Arbor Michigan

Beth was looking for her hot pink dress so she and Natalya would be color coordinated as she escorted her to the ring for this afternoon's smackdown taping. She realized, however, that the dress was down in Florida. She'd worn it when she and Ricardo had gone out to dinner one evening.

She called Natalya. "Nat, do you have a dress I can borrow for tonight. I think my only hot pink one is at Ric's. Crap I think half my stuff is down there now."

"That makes sense because you were down there nearly four days out of the week."

Tuesday, 6:40 p.m., Florida.

Ricardo wasn't sure if he should mail Beth her stuff, ask her to come get it, or bring it to Raw next Monday. The mean part of his brain said he should just throw it all away.

He really needed to go to practice. He didn't feel like it, but this Friday's match was supposed to be a big deal. He was supposed to get his first win. He'd only been competing for a few months, but they had a newcomer this week, so he'd managed to get this one win. After that he had the weekend off because Sunday was Christmas. He'd gotten Beth a pearl necklace. It was still in his dresser drawer. He'd written on the card, "Beautiful ladies deserve beautiful things." He knew it sounded clichéd, but it was true. Beth deserved beautiful things, and he wanted to be the one to give them to her.

Ann Arbor 9:45p.m.

Beth saw Rey Mysterio signing autographs for some of his fans as they left the arena after the show. She pulled him aside when he was finished.

"I need your help with something, please, Rey." She pulled out a notebook and showed him the choreography for the match she and Ricardo had practiced.

"Is this the thing that you and Del Rio's guy were working on?  
>"Yeah."<p>

"This looks pretty solid. Hey, I heard you two broke up."

"We did. He wanted me to meet his family."

"That's not a reason to break up. You must be pretty important to him if he wants you to meet them."

"I know. I screwed it up."

"So what do you need my help with?"

"Mostly the stuff where I have to jump off the top rope. I just need to tune it up a bit. And, well, since you and I are close to the same size, I'd like to borrow an outfit."

"Yeah, I want to go down to Florida and actually do the match against him on Friday. He gets to fight an alternate version of himself, and I get to see if I can actually wrestle like a man."

"But you don't want him to know it's you?"

"He'll figure out it's me most likely, but I can't risk anyone else finding out."

"You could just try talking to him. He'll probably listen."

"No, I want him to understand that I'm willing to fight to win him back if that's what I have to do."

"Then we have a lot of work to do."

Thursday morning 9:30 a.m.

"What do you mean I have a new opponent?" Rodriguez whined into the phone. "What made the last guy back out? Do I still get the win?"

"Yes, you still get the win," the trainer snapped. "Some mask that calls himself Crimson Death saw videos of you on youtube and says he wants a chance to fight you. I looked him on up youtube, and I have to say he's pretty good."

6:30 p.m. Friday night

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vicki Guerrero asked her backstage.

"Yeah, more sure than anything I've done in a while."

"Well I've got no idea how you strapped down those bazoombas of yours, but it looks ok."

"Natalya suggested ace bandages and duct tape. It worked ok for the videos."

"You did videos?"

"Yeah, just some shots of me doing backflips and a corkscrew splash on Sin Cara."

"They look legit enough." Vicki said after looking up the video links Beth gave her. "Well, are you about ready?"

"Yeah, time to go get my ass kicked I guess." She donned her mask and prepared for her introduction.

Ricardo peeked out at the audience. He was surprised to see so many WWE superstars in the audience. Rey Mysterio, Natalya and Tyson were there in the front row. He looked around for Beth, but she was nowhere to be found. He entered the ring first, and he tried to feign confidence, but anyone who knew him also knew his heart was elsewhere.

"And his opponent, weighing in at 160 lbs, from Guadalajara, Mexico, Crimson Death." Crimson Death entered with a back handspring cartwheel combination that excited the audience. Ricardo was surprised to see how the small the man was.

Once the match started, Ricardo thought wrestling with this new opponent was strangely familiar. The mysterious man knew all the Chimaera's moves, and he moved fluidly into the next combination without a lot of direction. It didn't appear rehearsed, however, it looked very natural. He went for the first pin attempt, and as he hooked Crimson Death's leg, he caught the scent of honeysuckle and roses on the air, the same scent that Beth wore. "Beth," he whispered and she nodded as she kicked out at the two count. They set up for the next sequence. She whispered to him, "Let's make it look good." She did a moonsault from the top rope, but he caught her in mid-air and slammed her. She got right up from that. They grappled for a while, and she put him in a leg-lock submission move. He managed to get to the rope. She missed a spinning dropkick, but he managed to land a kick to her face. It stunned her, and he nailed her with his corkscrew splash to secure the win.

As soon as they walked backstage, she unmasked. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what? That was awesome."

"I mean for last weekend. I realize I was wrong. I do love you, so I had to prove it."

"You didn't have to prove anything, Beth."

"Yes, I did. I had to prove I was willing to fight for what's mine."

"You didn't have to fight. All you had to do was ask. I was already yours from the first time you kissed me."

She threw her arms around him, and he pulled off his mask. She didn't care what people said anymore. All she cared about was being with him. She kissed him as hard as she could.

"Let's go celebrate your big win." She said when they finally broke the kiss.

"That sounds perfect," he said and they left the arena arm in arm.

The End.


End file.
